Revelation 1:20 reveals the picture of each golden lampstand representing a church, a body of believers who God wants to shine for Him in this dark world. We as families are also meant to be lampstands to our neighbors around about us and to all who come into our home.
How does a lampstand keep shining its light? God showed us the way when He instigated the original golden lampstand in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40; 27:2, 21; and 22-33). He commanded the priests to trim the wicks and pour in the oil for the light every morning and every evening. The light would go out if they didn't attend to it twice a day. If we want to be a family that is a light for God in this world we have to attend to our lamps twice a day also.
The wicks speak of our humanity. As we gather each morning and evening for Family Devotions, to come into God's presence as a family, He reveals to us the things that grieve His Holy Spirit and that we need to trim off our lives--the dead, burnt works of the flesh that smoke everyone out in the home! But trimmed wicks are not enough. We have to be filled again with the Holy Spirit, which is represented by the holy anointing oil.
The lampstand was made of pure beaten gold, speaking of the divinity of Christ. We have no light of ourselves. We have no righteousness of our own. It is only His holiness and His light shining through us that gives hope to the lost, light to the darkened and deceived, and comfort of to the troubled and broken-hearted.
Can we be golden lampstand families in this dark world? Let’s commit ourselves to attending to our lampstands every morning and evening.
Love from Nancy Campbell